I’m usually a “live and let live” type of guy and now have a dilemma –
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Out today on the MTB, finding some new routes and can see ahead of me the turning I need to make, as I watch a Corsa turn into the same place. Now worries, I think, probably just turning around – nope. Corsa goes charging up the BW and after a while I catch him up as it’s pretty rutted and bumpy, he pulls over, so I just go by. I realised about 200 yds up the way why he was going there – there were about 5 or 6 large tents, people, fires, washing lines, couple of horses tied up, all on the BW, loads of people and kids running around.
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As per my normal way, just peddled on…..
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Coming the other way towards me about 500 yds later was a beaten up Pajero, with 4 blokes in it, shaved heads, bearing down on me. Pulled up into the hedgerow to let them past and the driver wound down the window at which point I was just about to say something along the lines of “do you know there’s a camp down there?” when I clocked the sovereigns on the fingers, the word “skins” tattooed on his forehead – the whole 9 yards. Decided to exchange simple pleasantries and went on my way.
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Clearly it’s not legal, it was in the middle of no-where (I live in the South of England, so as no-where as you can be)…so
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My question is should I advise the local ROW officer?

http://www.police.uk/101

Instead of the ROW officer

Really?

Racist!

Do you like daags?

Clearly it’s not legal

So you’ve seen something you believe to be not legal, but it’s not a emergency. This is precisely what the 101 service is for

If it was reported to me I’d pass it over to the police via the local PCSO, or non-emergency no. if reporting myself when not in work

a) for driving on a BW, which is a police matter anyway (which even with landowners permission the vehicles still need tax / insurance / etc),
b) to let them know about a possible new, by the sound of it, travellers site, and
c) If they’re there legally and are all above board then fair enough, but insist that they drive carefully along the BW and to not damage it which, again, is an offence.